Filling mechanism



Jan. 21, 1941. H RE|HLE 2,229,476

FILLING MECHANISM Filed Fe b. 4, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Jan. 21, 1941. H. REKCHLE 2,229,416

FILLING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 4, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Hay/46 14 8/2/44 ATTORNEYS Jan. 21, 1941.

H. REICHLE FILLING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 4. 1939 4 sheets-sheets f/ams4245 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Jan. 21, 1941. LE 2,229,476

FILLING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 4, 1939 4 Sheets-Shet' 4.

ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 21 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NorthamWarren Corporation, New York, N. Y

a corporation of New, York Application February 4, 1939, Seri'alNo.254,583

6 Claims.

This invention relates to new and improved filling mechanism.

The invention relates particularly to filling jars or other receptacleswith regulated quantities-of cold cream or similar material, so thateach receptacle receives a predetermined and regulated quantity of thecream or other material, preferably just enough to fill the jar or otherreceptacle.

Another object of the invention is to provide nozzle-means fordepositing the cream or other material into the receptacle, togetherwith a bypass which by-passes the cream or other material from thereceptacle, as soon as the predetermined regulated quantity has beendeposited into the receptacle, preferably up to its top.

Another object of the invention is to provide a nozzle with a by-passwhich is always open, so that after .a predetermined quantity of thematerial has been deposited into the jar, the continuously flowingmaterial is fed back to the hopper or magazine through the by-pass,without overfilling the jar or other receptacle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination of a fillingnozzle having a. bypass, together with a reciprocating support for thejar or other receptacle, said nozzle having a valve which remainsclosed, unless the support, together with the receptacle thereon, ismoved into filling position. Therefore the. valve of the. nozzle is notopen, even if the support is in proper position, unless a receptacle isproperly located on said support.

Other objects of the invention are to provide simple and eflicientautomatic controls for the purposes above mentioned.

Other objects of the invention will be stated in the annexed descriptionand drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, it be- 40ing understood that the above general statement of the objects of theinvention is intended generally to explain the main purposes thereof,without limiting the invention in any manner.

Fig- 1 is a side elevation of the improved machine.

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view, showing the receptacle-support,together with some of the auxiliary controls. In this view thereceptacle is not shown in position upon the support, and thereceptacle-support is in its extremeibottom position.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showingjthe receptacle-support inits extreme top position.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to, Fig. 3, showing a recept'acle in positionon the receptacle -support,

and illustrating the actuation of the automatic control means, when thereceptacle is in said position, and the receptacle-support is moved tofilling position.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle and the by-passand otherauxiliary parts. The position of the receptacle-support in Fig. 5 is thesame as the position thereof shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 5, but corresponding to'Fig.4, in which a receptacle is shown as located on the receptacle-support.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view, partially in elevation, on the line 7-1 ofFig. 5.

Fig. 8 is asectional view on the line 88 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 1.0 is a sectional view on the line Ill-40 of Fig. 5.

The device comprises a table I, which is mounted on suitable standards.A rigid frame which includes the members 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d, dependsfrom the table I, for supporting various parts of the apparatus, as willbe later more fully described. A feed-screw casing 4 is mounted upon thetable I. A magazine or hopper 3, which contains the cold cream or othermaterial which is to be packed, is mounted upon-the casing 4.

The feed screw which is located within the casing 4 is not illustrated,.as it is of conventional design. The machine itself may be largely ofconventional design, with the improved parts applied thereto as anattachment.

The casing 4 of the feed-screw is provided with an outlet valve 30. Thisoutlet valve is provided with the usual arm 3|, which is connected to alink 32. When the valve 30 is open, the material-is discharged into anozzle-pipe 34, which has a depending nozzle 35. As shown in Figs. 5.and 6 for example, the nozzle is provided with a partition 50. Aby-pass is provided between the hopper 3 and the nozzle 35. This by-passincludes a pipe 49 which can be made of any suitable material, rigid, orflexible. The pipe 49 is preferably made of flexible rubber. As shown inFigs. 5 and 6, the bottom end of saidpipe 49. is connected to thecoupling-nipple 48 of a by-pass pipe, 41, which is suitably connected tothe nozzle 35.

The nozzle 35 is provided with a plate valve 39, which isshown indetailin Fig. 9. This plate valve 39 is provided with a by-pass recess48 which is preferably of circular shape. This recess 40 does not extendthrough the valve plate 39; Said" plate valve 39' is provided withspaced When the plate valve 39 is in the open position illustrated inFig. 6, the bottom end-Wall of the partition 53 then registers with thepartition 42. If the valve 3|] is open, the feed screw forces thematerial through the opening 4| and through an aligned opening of plate360 into the jar J and excess cream or other material is forced out ofsaid jar J through the opening Ma, and through an aligned opening ofplate 364;, and into the by-pass.

As shown in Figs/4 and 9, a link 43 is pivotally connected to the platevalve 39 by means of a pivot pin 44a.

As shown in Fig. 4, the link 43 is pivotally connected to an arm 44which is suitably connected to a pin 45. Said pin 45 is turnably mountedin a bearing which is connected to the frame which depends from thetable I. A tension spring 46 normally holds the plate valve 39 in theclosed position which is illustrated in Fig. 5. An arm 5| is suitablyconnected to the pivot pin 45, so that the arm 44 and arm 5| turn inunison. A depending arm 52 is turnably connected to the arm 5|, by meansof a pivot pin at the underside of the support 21.

cter of said head 24a is greater than the dithen keeps pin 33 in contactwith the vertical wall of cam plate 54. Said cam plate 54 is adjustablyconnected to the depending arm 52 by means of screws 55. A second cammember 56, which has a nose 56a, is adjustably connected to thedepending arm 52 by means of screws 51.

The jar or other receptacle J is mounted upon a receptacle-support 21,which is moved up and down by means of a vertically slidable rod orplunger 24. Said plunger 24 moves in slide bear- I ings 26 which areconnected to the frame which depends from the table I.

A horizontal pin is rigidly connected to the rod or plunger 24. A lever2| is pivotally connected at 22 to .a depending rod 2a of the aforesaidframe. Said lever 2| has an end-member 2|a. Said member Ma has a slot inwhich said pin 25 is located.

Hence when the lever 2| is oscillated, it reciprocates the rod orplunger 24 and the support 21.

As shown in Fig. 5, the support 21 has a recess at its underside. Therod 24 is provided with a collar 28. Said collar 28 is connected bymeans of a screw 29 to the support 21. There is a slight clearancebetween the bore of the collar 33 and the rod 24. The rod 24 has a head24a which is located in the recess which is provided The diamameter ofthe bore of collar 23. Hence'the sup-' port 21 can move verticallyrelative to the rod I 24, through a short predetermined distance. The

tioned relative to the resilient plate 31. Said.

resilient plate 31 may be made of rubber or other resilient material. Itis provided with an opening which is aligned with the mouth of thenozzle 35.

Said resilient plate 31 is connected to the metal plate 36a by means ofparallel angle plates 38 and 38a. Said metal plate 36a is connected to acompanion metal plate 36 by welding or by any other suitable means. Theplates 36 and 36a comprise the casing for the plate valve 39. Theseplates 36 and 36a have recesses which form a .guide for the slidingmovement of plate-valve 39.

Casing plate 36 has an opening to receive the mouth of nozzle 35. Plate36a has openings which register with openings 4| and 4m, when valveplate 39 is in the open position. Plate 36a also has a partition 50awhich registers with partition 42, when plate-valve 39 is in the openposition.

The shaft of the feed screw is provided with r a sprocket 5, which isconnected by means of a chain 6 to a companion sprocket I, which iskeyed to the drive shaft 8. The drive shaft 8 has a pulley 9 which isdriven by a belt H] from any suitable source of power. The drive shaft 8has a bevel gear II which meshes with a larger bevel gear I2, which iskeyed to the shaft l4. The cam I5 is keyed to said shaft [4. Theperiphery of the cam 15 abuts the periphery of a roll 20, which isturnably connected to the extension l9 of a lever l6. Said lever I6 ispivotally connected at I! to a depending arm I8 which is connected tothe table I. A spring 23 connects the adjacent ends ofthe levers 2| andI6.

' The link 32 may be operated by a suitable cam which is provided onsaid shaft M.

The lever 2| has the pin 33 fixed thereto, and said pin 33 has itslongitudinal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said lever2|. Said pin 33 isjadapted to contact slidingly with the inclined face54a of the cam plate 54, as well as with the upstanding face of said camplate 54.

The operation of the device is as follows:--

If a receptacle J is not located on the support 2| the feed screw isoperated continuously by the power shaft 8, which is driven continuouslywhen it is connected to its source of power by a releasable clutch .(notshown). The support 21 is therefore moved from the extreme bottomposition shown in Fig. 2 to the extreme top position shown in Fig. 3, bymeans of the cam l5, the lever 2|, and the other parts illustrated here-Referring to Fig. l, the cam I5 operates to turn the lever l5counterclockwise so as to actuate the lever 2| and to raise the rod 24and the support 21. The support 21 then abuts the underside of theyielding and resilient plate 31. The pin 33 then slides across theinclined wall 540, of the cam 54, so as to turn the arm 52 relative tothe arm 5|, and the lever l6 therefore skips the nose 55a of the member56 during the turning movement of said lever l6, as shown in Fig. 3. Thespring 46 therefore maintains the member 44 and the member 43 in thepositions illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, in which the plate valve 39 isin the closing position.

Hence, although the valve. 34 is opened automatically when the support21 is in its top position,the feed screw continuously feeds the material only into the by-pass.

When a receptacle J is in position, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the tophighest position of the support 21 is below the top position shown inFig. 3. Thevpin 33 therefore does not contact with the inclined wall54a. The spring 23 is extended, the filled receptacle before the platevalve 39 is so as to provide lost motion between members l6 and 2|.Hence the lever l6 strikes the nose 56a, so as to rock pin 45 and thusmove the plate valve 39 to its open position, The jar J is thereforeautomatically filled up to the level of the,

underside of the plate 31.

In this particular embodiment, the operator holds the jar J in theposition shown in Fig. 6, until the rod 24 has descended sufiicientlyand the plate valve 39 has been moved to the closing position. As shown,in Fig. 10, plate 36a has flanges 37a and 31b. These flanges are shapedso as to prevent contact with plate 36a and the mouth of the jar, whenthe mouth of the jar is slid along said flanges.

It would, not be departing from the invention if automatic means Wereprovided for holding the jar J in position until. the plate valve 39 wasmoved to the closing position, and for subsequently moving the jar Jaway from the filling position.

While the invention is particularly useful for filling receptacles withcold-cream or other cosmetic creams or plastic material, the inventioncanalso be used in connection with any kind of material.

The valve 38 may remain open continuously during the operation of theapparatus, it being sufficient to provide a manual control for saidvalve 39, so that said valve can be closed when the device is not inuse.

When the clutch which connects the apparatus to its drive is opened, thefeed screw is inoperative and valve 30 is closed and support 22 is inits bottom position.

By means of the improved mechanism, the material is forced into thereceptacle until the receptacle is filled, and the flowing material isthen by-passed while the receptacle is maintained in filling position.The material enters the nozzle 35 at the top thereof, and said materialis then forced 'downwardly, as shown by one of the arrows in Fig. 6. Thepartition 50 deflects the downwardly flowing material to the opening Al,and the momentum of the downwardly flowing material causes it to enterthe receptacle, through a part of the mouth of said receptacle. The airin the receptacle can escape freely through the other part of the mouthof said receptacle. When the receptacle has been filled, the materialcontinues to flow through the receptacle to the by-pass, withoutchanging the level of the material into the receptacle. When the platevalve 39 is closed, the cream or the like has sufiicient adhesion to thewalls of the openings in plate 35a. and also to the wall of the openingin plate 31, to remain in said openings. The diameter of the opening inplate .31 is preferably a little smaller than the diameter of the mouthof the jar. The material which leaves the jar moves upwardly, in orderto enter the bypass. Said material fills the pipe 49, and the height ofthe material in said pipe 49 is sufficient to create the necessaryback-pressure, so that the flowing material is forced to fill the jar.The outlet end of pipe 49 is preferably located above the level of thematerial in hopper 3. If cold cream is being packed, it has enoughviscosity and adherence to the wall of pipe 59, to cause the pressure ofthe feed screw to force the material into the jar.

The filling period is preferably slightly greater than the time which isrequired to fill a receptacle, so that some of: the material flowsthrough moved to the closing position. Whenever I refer. in a claim orclaims to filling a receptacle, I include the forcing of material into areceptacle up to a predetermined level below its mouth, even though. thereceptacle is not completely filled. The force of gravity (instead of afeed screw or the like) may be used for forcing the material into thereceptacle.

The pipe 49 is not necessarily connected to the feed hopper 3. It may beconnected to a different reservoir. Hence the designation by-pass is notlimited to a method or device whereby excess material is redelivered tothe reservoir from which said materialwas withdrawn.

After the jar has been filled and while the support 21 is in the fillingposition or after the support 27 has moved a trifle below said fillingposition, the jar J is slid relative to the plate 37 until the mouth ofsaid jar is located slidably between the flanges 31a and 31b. Theedge-wall of the opening in the plate 31 then acts as a wiping elementso that the jar is filled to itstop, and little or none of the materialis smeared along the face of the plate 31. The plate 31 is compressed tosome extent when the jar is in filling position. The shoulders of theflanges 31a and 31b guide the sliding movement of the jar J, relative tothe metal plate 36a, so that there is a slight space S between the mouthof the jar and the underside of the plate 3%. Therefore the material isnot smeared along the underside of the metal plate 3611, even if anypart of the mass of material extends slightly above the top of the jarJ. The purpose of the partition 50 is to provide a nozzle 35 with afilling opening which is smaller than the mouth of the jar. Theinvention therefore includes any type of filling nozzle whose mouth issmaller than the mouth of the jar. In the embodiment described herein,the control member 52 of the valve-operating mechanism can move freelyaway from the path of movement of the arm It of the mechanism whichactuates the receptacle support, when a receptacle is not located onsaid receptacle support. When a receptacle is located on said receptaclesupport, said control member 52 is held in the path of movement of armIt, so that control member 52 is actuated by arm H5, and thevalve-operating mechanism then opens the valve.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention but it is clear thatnumerous changes and omissions can be made without departing from itsspirit.

For example, the well-known filling machine has piston-means, inaddition to or in place of a feed screw, for forcing the materialintothe receptacles. Such additional or other feeding means can be usedin my invention. The feed of the material may be continuous orintermittent.

In order to identify the invention in the claims, certain terms whichare used in the claims are defined as follows:

The valve is movable to the open position which is shown in Fig. 6, andit is biased by the spring to the normally closed position which isshown in Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 5, the valve is shaped to permitmaterial to flow through a part of said valve, namely, the recess M1, tothe by-pass pipe 39 when the valve is in the closed position shown inFig. 5. The receptacle support 21 holds the mouth of the receptacle Jagainst the outlet of the filling-nozzle when said support 2'! is in thepredetermined position shown in Fig. 4.

The plunger 24 of the receptacle support 2! is connected to theoperating device l6 by connecting means which include the first spring23. The members It, 23 and 2| normally move the receptacle support 2'!beyond the predetermined position which is shown in Fig. 4, to theposition shown in Fig. 3. However, when a receptacle J is located on thesupport 21, the spring 23 yields, as can be seen by comparing Figs. 3and 4, and the receptacle support 21 is then urged by the spring 23towards the outlet of the filling nozzle, beyond the predeterminedposition which is shown in Fig. 4. However the receptacle J thenprevents the movement of the receptacle support 2?, beyond saidpredetermined position. The valve has valve-operating means 44 which areadapted to be actuated by the operating member [6. The valve is biasedto the normally closed position which is shown in Fig. 5, by means ofthe spring 45. Second connecting-means are provided between thevalve-operating device 44 and the operating device It. Said secondconnecting means include the control member 52 which is movable to theoperative position shown in Fig. 4 and which is also movable to theinoperative position shown in Fig. 3.

The control member 52 is biased to the operative position, by means ofthe spring 52a. The pin 33 is movable in unison with the plunger 24 ofthe receptacle support 21. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the control means33 move the control member 52 to its operative position only when thereceptacle support 21 is moved beyond the predetermined position shownin Fig. 4. Likewise the member I6 is adapted to actuate thevalve-operating means 44 only after the receptacle support 21 hasreached said predetermined position.

Complete automatic means are therefore provided whereby the valve isopened without the exertion of any pushing force by means of thereceptacle J.

I claim:

1. In combination, a nozzle, means adapted to force material into saidnozzle, said nozzle having an outlet, said nozzle having a partitionwhich divides said outlet into a plurality of outletportions, a by-passpipe connected to said nozzle, said by-pass pipe having an inlet whichis spaced from the outlet of the nozzle, a plate valve, a casing inwhich said plate valve is slidably located, said plate valve having aplurality of spaced openings which are separated by intermediatepartition means, said plate valve being movable to an open position inwhich the openings of said plate valve respectively register with theoutlet portions of the nozzle and the partition means of the plate valveregister with the partition of the nozzle, said plate valve also havinga recess, the end of the partition of the nozzle overlying said recesswhen said plate valve is in a closed position, said valve casing havingan outlet which is provided with an auxiliary partition, said auxiliarypartition being in registration with said partition means when the platevalve is in its open position.

2. A filling machine comprising a filling-nozzle which has an outlet, aby-pass pipe connected to said filling-nozzle, a movable Valveassociated with said filling-nozzle and adapted to control said outlet,said valve being movable to an open position and to a closed positionand being biased to a normally closed position, said valve being shapedto permit material to flow through a part of said valve from saidfilling-nozzle to said bypass pipe when the valve is in closed position,a receptacle-support which is movable towards said outlet and awaytherefrom and adapted to hold the mouth of, a receptacle against saidoutlet in a predetermined position of i said receptaclesupport,operating-mechanism connected to said receptacle-support by firstconnecting-means which include a spring, said operating-mechanism andsaid first connecting-means being adapted to normally move saidreceptacle-support beyond said predetermined position when thereceptacle-support is free from a receptacle, said spring yielding whena receptacle is located on said receptacle-support and saidreceptaclesupport is urged towards said outlet beyond said predeterminedposition, operating means adapted to be actuated by saidoperating-mechanism to open said valve, second connecting-means betweensaid valve-operating means and said operating-mechanism, said secondconnecting-means including a control member which is movable to anoperative position and also to an inoperative position relative to saidoperating-mechanism, so that the valve is opened by theoperatingmechanism only when said control member is in its operativeposition, biasing means biasing said control member to its operativeposition, said receptacle-support having control-means operable inunison therewith and adapted to move said control member to itsinoperative position only when said receptacle-support is moved beyondsaid predetermined position, .said operatingmechanism being adapted toactuate said valveoperating means only after said receptacle-support hasreached said predetermined position.

3. A filling machine comprising a filling nozzle which has an outlet, aby-pass pipe connected to said filling nozzle, a movable valveassociated with said filling nozzle and adapted to control said outlet,a receptacle-support movable towards said outlet and away therefrom,actuating means adapted to actuate said receptacle-support towards saidnozzle to a predetermined position in which a receptacle is supported onsaid receptacle-support with the mouth of the receptacle at the outletof the nozzle, said actuating means being adapted to yieldingly urgesaid receptacle beyond said position, valve-operating mechanism adaptedto move said valve to an open position, a movable control member, saidactuating means being adapted to be connected to said valveoperatingmechanism through said movable control member, said control member beingmovable to an operative position and also to an inoperative position,said actuating means being adapted first to actuate said receptaclesupport towards said nozzle and then to actuate said valve-operatingmeans, control means movable in unison with said receptacle-support andadapted to move said control member to its inoperative position onlyafter said receptacle-support has moved beyond said predeterminedposition.

4. Filling mechanism comprising a magazine which has a discharge end, afilling nozzle which has an inlet and an outlet, feed mechanism locatedbetween the discharge end of the magazine and the inlet of the nozzleand adapted to feed material from said magazine to the inlet of saidnozzle, a valve which is movable relative to the inlet and the outlet ofsaid nozzle, said valve being I located at the outlet of said nozzle andbeing movable to open or to close the outlet of the nozzle, a valvecasing in which said valve is located, said valve casing having anopening through which material can be discharged, a bypass pipe havingan inlet end and an outlet end, the inlet end of said pipe beingconnected to said nozzle, the outlet end of said pipe being located insaid magazine, said nozzle and said valve being shaped to admit materialfreely to said pipe when the valve is closed, said valve casing having asealing gasket which has an opening which is in registration with saidopening of the valve casing, a receptacle-support which is movable to aposition in which a receptacle which is located on said support has themouth of said receptacle in registration with the opening of the gasketand said mouth abuts said gasket, mechanism adapted to move said supportto said position, said mechanism including a spring which is external tosaid nozzle, additional mechanism adapted to open said valve when areceptacle is in said position.

5. Filling mechanism comprising a filling nozzle having an inlet and anoutlet, means adapted to supply material to said inlet, a valve which ismovable relative to said inlet and said outlet, said valve being movableto open or to close said outlet, a by-pass pipe having one end thereofconnected to said nozzle and having its other end located in areservoir, said nozzle and said valve being shaped to admit materialfreely to said pipe when said valve closes said outlet, said nozzlehaving a sealing member associated therewith, said sealing member havingan opening through which material can pass from said outlet, areceptacle support which is movable to a position in which a receptaclewhich is located on said support has the mouth of said receptacle inregistration with the opening of said sealing member and said mouthabuts said sealing member, mechanism adapted to move said support tosaid position, said mechanism including a spring which is external tosaid nozzle, additional mechanism adapted to open said valve when areceptacle is in said position.

6. Filling mechanism for filling receptacles, comprising a nozzle havingan inlet and an outlet, a valve movable relative to said outlet andadapted to open and to close said outlet, biasing means biasing saidvalve to a normally closed position, valve-operating mechanism adaptedto open said valve, said valve-operating mechanism including acontrol-member, a receptacle-support, actuating mechanism adapted tomove said receptacle-support towards said outlet and away therefrom,said actuating mechanism including an arm which is adapted to abut andto actuate said control-member and to actuate said valveoperatingmechanism when said control member is located in the path of movement ofsaid arm, said control-member being movable relative to the adjacentmember of said valve-operating mechanism in a direction away from thepath of movement of said arm, said actuating mechanism including amember which is adapted to move said control-member out of said pathonly when a receptacle is not located on said receptaclesupport, saidactuating mechanism including a spring and being adapted to actuate saidreceptacle-support to a position in which the distance between saidreceptacle-support and said outlet is less than the height of thereceptacle, said spring yielding when the distance between thereceptacle-support and the outlet is less than the height of thereceptacle.

HANS REICHLE.

